# Who is Stefano Pessina, the dealmaker behind Boots sale?

> Italian dealmaker Stefano Pessina sells Boots for $8.9bn after 20 years of ownership.
- Title: Who is Stefano Pessina, the dealmaker behind Boots sale?
- Summary: Italian dealmaker Stefano Pessina sells Boots for $8.9bn after 20 years of ownership. Stefano Pessina sold Boots to a Canadian branch of the Weston family…
- Keywords: stefano pessina, boots, weston family, canada, pharmacy, dealmaking, private equity, boots sale, Stefano, Pessina, dealmaker, behind
- Source: MoneyWeek — https://moneyweek.com/people/who-is-stefano-pessina-the-dealmaker-behind-boots-sale
- Published: 2026-10-25T07:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: stefano pessina, boots, weston family, canada, pharmacy, dealmaking, private equity, boots sale
## Stefano Pessina's Boots sale
Italian dealmaker Stefano Pessina sold Boots to a Canadian branch of the Weston family for $8.9 billion after 20 years of ownership.

> We are delighted to be passing on a thriving Boots
## Pessina's 20-year Boots journey
Pessina led Boots through ownership changes and makeovers for 20 years before selling it to the Weston family.

> an iconic brand and a British institution
## The sale process
Pessina and his wife Ornella Barra completed over a thousand deals to dominate global pharmacy before selling Boots.

> through more than a thousand deals
## Pessina's dealmaking career
Pessina started in market research, then built a pharmaceutical distribution empire across Italy, France, Greece, and Portugal.

> ability with numbers
## Boots acquisition timeline
Pessina acquired Unichem in 1997, then took Boots private with KKR in 2006 for around £11bn.

> a year later, he teamed up with private-equity firm KKR
## Pessina's current role
Pessina now works 12 hours a day instead of 18, after selling Boots to the Weston family.

> he's now working just 12 hours a day instead of the usual 18
## Pessina's legacy
Pessina is known as the 'Italian alchemist' who turned deals into gold through his 20-year leadership of Boots.

> the Italian alchemist who turned deals into gold
## Key takeaway

Stefano Pessina sold Boots to a Canadian branch of the Weston family for $8.9 billion after 20 years of leading the pharmacy chain.